How to Turn Your Patio into a Garden Oasis

Your outdoor space can become a sanctuary with the right mix of plants

The kitchen may be the heart of a home , but for most of us , thepatiois the center of the backyard . Whether we use it as a place for conversation , a second dining room , or simply anoutdoor oasisto loosen and unwind in , a thoughtfully plannedborderwill bring out the best in this important composition of real estate . The right mix of plant life will employ the senses , ground a patio without closing it in , and in big yard , supply a lush transition to thelawnand garden beyond .

To provide quiet demarcation tocolorful perennials , sum up some morphological workhorses . Low - growing shrubsin the 2- to 5 - foot range are ideal for the caper — and for bestow foliation colour or fragrance . To deflect overwhelm the outer space , consider nanus versions of classic favorites like ‘ Newport Dwarf ’ escallonia ( Escallonia‘Newport Dwarf ’ , Zones 7–9 ) or gnome Vinca minor ( Myrtus communis‘Compacta ’ , Zones 9–11 ) .

make the trick of wall helps define a patio , especially one that is used for specific function , such as dining or conversation .

terrace are the ultimate spot to appreciate a planting bed ’s complexity and beauty from a close perspective . If privateness or aegis from afternoon sun is command , placescreeningtrees and bush as far out on the perimeter as possible to keep from crowding the patio and to relinquish quality growing space to perennials and shrubs that shine when viewed at close range . Opt for small - scale Tree with a more open ramification radiation diagram alternatively of those with dense canopies . flora like ‘ Shishigashira ’ Japanese maple ( Acerpalmatum‘Shishigashira ’ , Zones 5–9 ) and ‘ Ray Hartman ’ California lilac ( Ceanothus‘Ray Hartman ’ , Zones 8–10 ) provide dappled shade and seasonal interestingness with flowers or foliage .

Creating the magic of wall helps define a terrace , especially one that is used for specific occasion , such as dining or conversation . Sheared , thick flora , however , can have the unwanted force of tailor off the patio from the rest of the garden , unwittingly create a cramped feel . To add a sense of enclosure without crowding , essay grandiloquent , airy “ see through ” works , such as ocean holly ( Eryngiumspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) or ‘ Alcazar ’ Verbascum thapsus lily ( Kniphofia‘Alcazar ’ , Zones 6–9 ) .

Pockets planted along a patio ’s edge serve as an crucial transitional space . A mix of creeping ground covers and mounding perennials will visually extend the terrace ’s size while providing a living transition to taller plants far back . Fragrant ground - cover herb that can handle some metrical foot dealings , such as Roman Catholic chamomile ( Chamaemelumnobile , Zones 6–9 ) , are a particularly attractive selection , release smell when stepped on and reserve for upkeep access to plantings beyond .

Tip: Target Your Ambience

Tailor your plant choices to reflect when and how your patio is used the most . if eventide eating and entertaining are important , consider including plants with chartreuse or silvern leafage that reflect the moonshine . if hot or humid summers make fall the best time to revel the terrace , mix in ornamental grasses or shrubs that sport fall color .

5 Types of Plants for Patios

Your terrace is the place where you ’ll sit and wait out at your garden , so make indisputable the seam you ’re look at is doing its job . To make your design successful , incorporate these kinds of plants .

1. Structural workhorses

A vertebral column of small to intermediate evergreen plant shrub adds foliage , color , and contrast , and maintain the garden from disappearing in winter .

Good option

•‘Great Orme ’ hebe(Hebe‘Great Orme ’ , USDA Hardiness Zones 8–10 )

•Obsession ™ heavenly bamboo(Nandinadomestica*‘Seika ’ , zone 6–9 )

See invasive alert below .

2. Thoughtful screening

small trees ( in the 12- to 20 - foot - tall range ) provide mottled shade and maintain privacy without overwhelming small planting .

•Chinese fringe tree(Chionanthusretusus , Zones 5–9 )

•‘Ann ’ magnolia(Magnolia‘Ann ’ , Zones 4–9 )

3. Multiseason appeal

mulct - textured grasses and long - blooming perennial help oneself the patio shine from spring through fall .

•‘Illumination Flame ’ digiplexis ™ (Digitalis‘Illumination Flame ’ , Zones 8–10 )

•‘Hameln ’ fountain grass(Pennisetumalopecuroides‘Hameln ’ , zona 6–9 )

4. Architectural elements

Tall , spiky plants help oneself specify the terrace ’s blank space while still allowing views into the lawn or garden beyond .

• ‘ Harmony ’ kangaroo paw(Anigozanthos‘Harmony ’ , Zones 9–11 )

• Burnet(Sanguisorba menziesii , Zones 3–9 )

5. Transitional plants

To damp a terrace ’s edge and crumple the place together , plant ground cover and smaller mounding plants in the front of the seam , allow them to run out onto the patio and mingle with the plants behind .

• ‘ Archer ’s gold ’ lemon thyme(Thymus×citriodorus‘Archer ’s Gold ’ , Zones 6–9 )

• ‘ Elfin ’ thyme(Thymus serpyllum , Zones 4–8 )

Mounding plants tumbling over a retaining wall’s edge combine with bright spikes of perennial flowers and architectural grasses to wrap a patio in color and texture.

Surround yourself with beauty.Mounding plants tumbling over a retaining wall’s edge combine with bright spikes of perennial flowers and architectural grasses to wrap a patio in color and texture.Photo: Nicola Stocken/gapphotos.com

*Invasive alert: Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)

This plant life is consider invasive in AL , FL , GA , MO , and SC .

Please visitinvasiveplantatlas.orgfor more information .

Susan Morrison is a garden graphic designer in Northern California .

patio with seating and low growing shrubs around it

Photo: Marianne Majerus

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Let there be light.Keeping a patio tree’s canopy open allows space and light for plants below to thrive.Photo: Joshua McCullough

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Creeping ground covers and petite grasses spill onto the flagstones to connect the patio with the surrounding garden

Make the connection.Creeping ground covers and petite grasses spill onto the flagstones to connect the patio with the surrounding garden.Photo: Michelle Gervais

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